[lit-ideas] Re: Also from today's BBC
- From: Robert Paul <robert.paul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:47:41 -0700
Andreas Ramos wrote:
In previous wars, the US military kept track of deaths in combat. It's
necessary to know how effective the military is performing.
I don't think we're on the same page at all here. The original topic was
the death toll of Iraqi civilians.
By 'deaths in combat' I meant, civilian deaths caused intentionally or
accidentally (and there are genuine accidents in war) by military
operations. The US military did not keep track of these in any past war.
(See, once again, the allied bombings in WW II.) They may have known of
some: they would have been known in some cases, guessed at in others,
and a matter of indifference many; Vietnam comes to mind.
Otherwise, 'deaths in combat' is ambiguous between civilian deaths
caused by the military; enemy combatants' deaths; and the deaths of US
personnel. The first is mostly unknowable at the time (and in fact is
never known precisely); the second is often unknowable (although it may
be known to the enemy; and the third is, of course, the most closely
known.
Knowing the number of civilians killed by military action is an odd way
of determining how well the military is performing except no doubt to
Genghis Khan.
Robert Paul
Reed College
It was decided in Iraq I and Iraq II that the US military would not
collect or publish these numbers; it could lead to US public
disenchantment with war. So we have no idea how many died in Iraq 1,
where nearly all of the deaths were caused by US military attacks, incl.
wholesale slaughter of retreating troops.
Around 30% of the deaths in Iraq are caused by US military actions. This
is based on a study by Iraqi hospitals. Subsequently, the Iraqi
hospitals were ordered to not collect, share, or publish the information.
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